Intro:
Good things come to those that wait and the "new" Cheese album "Enlarge Your Johnson" was definitely worth the wait! I say "new" because this is really their FIRST album, since their "Let It Brie" CD (also on Pink Hedgehog) was really a compilation of various songs recorded between 1994-1997. Since the band came together in 1994 - that means it really took a decade for Cheese to put their "first" CD out! Confused yet? So, when I first heard that they was going to be a new Cheese release, my first thoughts immediately turned to their "formula", i.e. would the band be able to top the power-pop excellence of "Let It Brie"? (Hint: they do!)

I recently talked to member Marco Rossi about the band, their new album, and what exactly IS the meaning behind the album title?

E.C.: How did you pick the name "Cheese"? I guess it came in handy when calling your first album (actually compilation) "Let It Brie"!

Marco Rossi: You know when people ask you what you simply couldn't live without? I'm fairly sure I could be blissfully content in the fallout shelter as long as I had cheese to eat and cheesy 60s loungey pop to listen to. I just like cheese, in every conceivable sense. It's also a really jocular word - it wants you to smile when you're saying it.

E.C.: I know the members of Cheese came from assorted bands, but it has retained the same line-up of Marco Rossi, Rich Murphy, Alan Strawbridge and Chris Page. How long has Cheese actually been together as a unit?

Marco Rossi: We came together in 1994, and we've all been in and out of various local bands ever since, usually alongside one or other of us - if that makes sense. The band scene is very incestuous around here, but with good reason: When you finally find musicians who are on the same rather obscure wavelength and who are also your mates, you don't tend to want to stray too far from them...

E.C.: "Let It Brie" had songs recorded between 1994-1997. Why so long until we get "Enlarge Your Johnson"? What were the assorted members of the band doing during this time - any side projects?

Marco Rossi: Five or six of the basic backing tracks - or at least the drum tracks thereof - were actually recorded in 1997 or 98, but we got, er, distracted in the interim... Honestly, other stuff came along - new jobs, house moves, etc - and the Cheese album kind of receded in our minds. Entire years went by when we didn't even record so much as a note, then periodically I'd get fidgety and say 'we must finish off that Cheese stuff' ... and then another few months would pass before I'd get it together enough to broach the subject again. It's disgraceful, really - if you put together the amount of time actually spent on it, we could have done it in a fortnight... Anyway, yes, we were all gigging steadily in insalubrious dives throughout this period in a variety of bands - Gothic Chicken, The Lo Numbers, Stocky Lamaar, etc - and of course The Lucky Bishops were (and are) still recording and gigging, and I was (and still am) doing the occasional gig with Kevin McDermott. As I said, plenty going on. And let's not even broach the subject of redecorating.

E.C.: Any hidden meanings behind the title, "Enlarge Your Johnson"? Inside band joke perhaps? The cover of the CD cracks me up as well, with the little child peeking from behind a Christmas tree with a look of shock on his face! What is he viewing?

Marco Rossi: There was a time, not too long ago, when it seemed like everyone I knew was being bombarded with spam e-mails, all of which seemed to hinge around the phrase 'enlarge your johnson.' Quite apart from the fact that we found this hysterically funny - especially our female friends - it also occured to me that I can't think of a better phrase to sum up the human condition in the 21st century... riddled with pathetic, inexplicable and unnecessary insecurities, increasingly beholden to the lowest common denominator, etc. The child on the cover is me, incidentally, aged 7. As I recall, I was probably looking directly at my father's arcane camera apparatus, which included two hand-held bare light bulbs of about 3 million watts apiece. The look of shock is probably the moment when my retinas exploded.

E.C.: Your influences are very easy to pick out when hearing your songs (Beatles, 10cc, Big Star, XTC, etc). Are there any influences that stray from this power-pop genre?

Marco Rossi: Yes, absolutely loads. Off the top of my head, there's Serge Gainsbourg, Can, early Soft Machine, Elliott Smith, Blossom Toes, early Yes, the Dudley Moore Trio, Van Der Graaf Generator... Hmm, perhaps I'd better stop now ...

E.C.: "Enlarge Your Johnson" was a long time coming. I imagine that you had quite a backlog of original songs to choose from? Will there be a long wait for the follow-up?

Marco Rossi: Good question! If I'm going to be entirely honest, I'm empty at the moment. There are a few songs that didn't make it on to the album, but I'm quite keen on the idea of starting with a clean slate, as it were. I've never been able to just sit down and write to order, so I have to wait for the songs to manifest themselves, which I suppose will take as long as it takes! Perhaps I require more discipline? Barbara Windsor's workout DVD might help ...

E.C.: I hear a lot of growth and maturity in "Enlarge Your Johnson" when compared to "Let It Brie". What was your mindset in recording the new album? Did you want to experiment more?

Marco Rossi: It was perhaps more to do with the fact that a lot of the songs on Let It Brie were written with the thought in mind that they were only going to be played in local pubs to gobby inebriates, so they were more one-dimensional by design (our pub peers like it loud, fast and shallow - matron). With the newer stuff, it almost felt, at times, as though no one was going to hear it. We weren't doing many gigs, and the songs were getting quieter and less obviously demonstrative, so it felt good to just let them evolve without worrying about whether or not you'd be able to hear them by the fruit machine.

E.C.: How has your songwriting changed over the years? Is it easier or harder to write a song that you are satisfied with?

Marco Rossi: Judging by the number of song fragments that I've discarded recently, I'd say it must be harder to write something I'm satisfied with these days, doh. Hopefully that's a good thing - I'd like to think it means that I've got a healthy filter in place that won't let anything too crappy through. Hopefully, ahem. I can't really tell how my songwriting has changed, to be honest - the songs seem a little bit wordier these days, maybe, and are hopefully a little more considered.

E.C.: Does Cheese play live often? Any chance of any American shows in the future?

Marco Rossi: We haven't done any gigs for over a year, I'm afraid, but we're hoping to rectify that in the coming months. We'd all dearly love to play some American shows, but as ever, it comes down to finance, alas. If there was any way of doing it without going severely out of pocket, rest assured we'd be over like a shot...

E.C.: Will we ever see any official release of the Cheese version of "Wannabee" by the Spice Girls?

Marco Rossi: Heee, I forgot about that! We never recorded it at the time, which is a bit of a shame in retrospect. It does lend itself extraordinarily well to a Hendrix-style makeover, though, I must say... Thank you for the reminder - I think I know what the hidden track on the next album might be...

E.C.: What did you think of the new SMiLE album? Any other new albums this year catch your attention?

Marco Rossi: I absolutely loved it, of course: I saw Brian Wilson and his miraculous band in Bournemouth, and the whole experience was so emotional that I'm not even sure I've got it within myself to go through it again. Songs like Surf's Up, Wonderful and Cabin Essence are astounding - I can't believe that anyone, Brian included, could ever have expressed any doubts that he wasn't absolutely at the top of his game when he wrote them. Similarly, From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith boasts some remarkable songwriting - he had such a keen melodic sense, and he was a tremendous guitarist and pianist. I love Free The Bees by The Bees as well - fantastic, mysterious 60s-style production - and A Terrible Beauty by The Uncle Devil Show has got some unbelievable songs on it.

E.C.: I know you have a link on the Pink Hedgehog website, but why is there not an official Cheese website? Ahh, just think of the merchandising possibilities!

Marco Rossi: What, do you mean dairy produce?! Yes, it's a tempting thought... To be honest, we just haven't got around to it yet, which is something of a recurring motif with us as you'll no doubt have gathered. I'm filled with good intentions, of course - a website should hopefully be under construction soon, when I find out what buttons I need to press...

E.C.: What are your ultimate plans for Cheese? Tours Videos? "Top of the Pops" appearances?

Marco Rossi: We're all very philosophical, really: I don't think any of us have any expectations whatsoever (although Top Of The Pops would be good, admittedly - I look astonishing in Lycra). For me, it's good enough that anyone at all is even remotely interested in what we're doing: I find that incredibly flattering and encouraging. Anything beyond just sitting here writing the songs is a bonus. God, I sound like a cretin, don't I?